


Lights Out

by SCFrankles



Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Community: watsons_woes, Dialogue-Only, Gen, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-07
Updated: 2015-12-07
Packaged: 2018-05-05 13:14:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5376560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SCFrankles/pseuds/SCFrankles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baker Street has lost its gas supply and been temporarily plunged into darkness. But there are candles upstairs...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lights Out

**Author's Note:**

> Written for WAdvent Open Post Day #2: [Candlelight](http://watsons-woes.livejournal.com/1469770.html), at Watson's Woes on LJ. 
> 
> Holmes and Watson are the creations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
> 
> * * *

“...and it seems the whole street is without gas presently. Do be careful stepping inside, Hopkins. There is a slight unevenness that can catch you unawares even when the hall is illuminated.”

“Thank you, Mr. Holmes. I think I’ve managed to avoid it.”

“Are you all right, Watson?”

“I’m inside safely too, Holmes.”

“Then I will close the front door. Hopkins, if you take a few steps to your left, you should reach a wall. Perhaps you’d better wait down here while I try and locate candles upstairs. Watson, take my hand!”

“Actually, that’s _my_ hand, Mr. Holmes.”

“Is it? I do apologise, Hopkins.”

“No, that’s… quite all right, Mr. Holmes.”

“Well, I suppose we may as well continue holding hands now we’ve begun. Watson—if you wouldn’t mind taking my other hand?”

“Yes, indeed, Holmes.”

“And if you would kindly start leading us up the stairs?”

“Of course. And I will count them as we go. You know, Holmes, it’s so fortunate that you became aware of the number of steps all those years ago. And that you also let me know we have a total of⸺ _Aaaaaaargh!”_

“Watson!”

“Doctor Watson, are you all right?”

“There are only sixteen! Sixteen! You swore there were seventeen!”

“Watson, there _are_ seventeen⸺”

“No. No. I have just been counting them very carefully in the _pitch dark,_ and there are definitely only sixteen. If there _had_ been seventeen, then I wouldn’t have just gone arse over⸺”

“Doctor Watson, is that you?”

“Mrs. Hudson! I do apologise!”

“Where are you, Mrs. Hudson? Do you need any assistance?”

“I am perfectly well, Mr. Holmes. I came up to clean your sitting room and when all the lights went out, I’m afraid I became a little disorientated. I thought it best to wait on your sofa until someone could help me downstairs again. But is the Doctor injured?”

“Oh, he’s fine. He just miscounted the number of steps coming up.”

“I did not miscount!”

“Watson is leading us all across to the sitting room now…”

“Well, that’s something else to put on the list I suppose: Knowledge of basic arithmetic—Nil…”

“And we’re inside the room! Oh, you haven’t met Inspector Hopkins yet, have you, Mrs. Hudson?”

“Good evening, ma’am. Very pleased to meet you!”

“I’m very pleased to meet you too, Inspector.”

“Excellent! Now the introductions are over and we’re all acquainted, if you wouldn’t mind holding hands… Are we all connected up? Then Watson, if you please, start taking us towards my bedroom. The candles should be on the table next to my bed.”

“Ah!”

“I apologise, Watson. I forgot I left my tin box out in the middle of the sitting room floor.”

_“Ah!”_

“I apologise again, Watson. I also left out my other tin box—the one I bought when the first one became full up with cases.”

_“AH!”_

“I apologise once more, Watson. That’s the tin box I bought this very day as the second tin box is almost full.”

“At least that one is empty, Doctor!”

“Well done, Hopkins! Always looking on the bright side. I’m sorry, Watson—did you make a gesture then? I thought I could just discern movement.”

“I will demonstrate it to you again when the lights are restored, Holmes. Now… Yes, I’ve found the wall!”

“Good! Good!”

“Holmes, your bedroom door has disappeared! Why the hell have you hidden your bedroom door?!”

“Watson, do stay calm and remember there is a lady present.”

“I’ve found it! Let’s get inside…”

“The table should be straight ahead, Watson.”

“Oh, so you decided to leave _that_ particular item of furniture in place and not move it out to ambush me⸺ AARGH!”

“Sorry, Watson. Unfortunately, I had decided to remove all the pictures of celebrated criminals from my walls and leave them piled up next to the door. Are you terribly injured? I’m sorry… Are you gesturing again?”

“Never mind. I have found the table… And yes—the candles! Let me pass them down the line.”

“Excellent work, Watson! So let me check… Mrs. Hudson has a candle..?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And Hopkins has a candle..?”

“Yes, Mr. Holmes!”

“Watson has a candle..?”

_“Yes,_ Holmes!”

“And I have a candle. That’s wonderful. So. All that’s left now… Is for me to try and remember where I left the matches...”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Holmes!”

“You know, Watson, I cannot wait to see what that gesture actually looks like.”


End file.
